Sunday, June 7, 2009

If someone asked me to fill out one of those surveys that they give to celebrities for the American Express ads when I was twelve, my “perfect day” would have included a Mexican Pizza from Taco Bell.

Yes, admittedly, Taco Bell.

My reincarnated “healthy” (save the regular indulgence in vegan desserts at Blossom and Red Bamboo) vegan self no longer craves the neon green ooze that comes freshly squirted from the guac gun. However, there is something to be said for the deliciousness and simplicity that comes from a combination of crispy tortilla, a light hint of hearty beans, and tangy salsa, all held together with the kick of perfectly melted cheddar. (In my case, the cheddar is made from almond milk.)

So, as the city heats up (despite the fact that rain that become a semi-permanent fixture Monday – Friday), and my body is craving satisfyingly light salads, I had to throw in a recipe for Mexican Pizza in this week’s menu. The rest of this week’s dishes are light on the stomach, big in flavor, and use a great combination of berries, greens, and nuts.

You may have some leftover yogurt, dried fruit, and almonds this week – either save the fruit and almonds for future recipes, or add them to your breakfasts – yogurt parfaits, oatmeal – or midday snacks, like trail mix to avoid waste.

This is a grilled chicken salad for vegetarians and vegans. And, if you’re one of those people who are freaked out by fake meat, well then, it’s just a more filling salad because it includes protein in the seitan. The dressing is delicious and completely different from the light vinaigrettes that I use most often – it’s bold and creamy, and compliments the tart apple and leafy greens well.

The recipe includes instructions for making seitan from scratch – I take the short cut and use ready-made chicken-style seitan, which you can find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, near the tofu.

On Sunday, make the salad and dressing, but only mix about 2 tablespoons of dressing with the portion you will each on Sunday. Store the remaining dressing and salad separately and toss them together just before you have the second portion for lunch on Monday. (For those of us who work in offices, by “toss”, I mean pour the dressing into the salad container, close the container, and shake it vigorously in every direction. When you re-open, the salad will be evenly coated.)

So, you’re eating Mexican Pizza three times this week – once the beans are made, you’ll have dinner ready in about 15 minutes on the other nights. The recipe below is for 1 serving, or two pizzas.

Following this week’s blog intro, I don’t think this pizza needs any further introduction. But, I do have a few suggestions for variations (the recipe as it appears below is the simplest variation).

If you want the veggies to be more flavorful, toss them with a ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 tsp. of minced garlic, 1 tbsp of chopped cilantro, a ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper, and the juice of ½ lime, to make more of a chunky salsa.

If you’d like to add guacamole, add about a tablespoon on top of each pizza after they are baked. If you do this, I would use the veggies as they are below, (i.e. not make them into a salsa). A simple recipe for guacamole follows below.

Steps:1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spray a pizza pan with cooking spray. Place tortillas on pan, and spray lightly with cooking spray.2. Rinse beans thoroughly. Place in blender or food processor with ¼ cup water and ½ packet of taco seasoning. Blend until smooth (you may need to add more water to make smooth, but no more than 1/3 cup total). Add more taco seasoning to taste.3. Place tortillas on pan in oven for 3 minutes.4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in small pot over medium heat. Transfer beans to pot, stirring occasionally.5. Prepare scallions, red onion, tomato, and cheese (by mincing, chopping, or shredding). During this prep time, the timer on oven will likely go off – flip the tortillas and put them back in the oven for 2 minutes.6. Remove tortillas from oven. Spread 1 – 2 tbsp. of beans on each tortilla.7. Top each tortilla with scallions, red onion, tomatoes, and cheese.8. Bake at 300 degrees for 8 minutes.9. Cool for two minutes. Serve!

1. Mash all ingredients in bowl, or pulse in food processor.2. Add additional seasoning to taste.

Spinach-Quinoa Salad with Cherries and AlmondsAccording to Vegetarian Times, this dish is great for picnics as it won’t get soggy. This also makes it a perfect dish for singles or couples who want to cook once, store it, and eat it over the course of a few days.

The salad provides an awesome balance of proteins, veggies, fruit, and nuts – so there are lots of nutrients in here. It will fill you up, but won’t weigh you down. (Is that line in a commercial for something…?)

Couple of notes on the yogurt: the recipe does include yogurt, but is easily vegan-ized with the use of soy yogurt. Also, you only need ¼ cup of it for this recipe, so either buy one of the small yogurt cups, or, if you buy the larger size, use it for breakfast all week.

Pepita Fettucini with Spinach and CranberriesAs I was making this dish (pictured above), I didn’t know whether or not I would like it – it didn’t seem like there was enough sauce, I was worried that it wouldn’t have enough flavor, or that the flavor combination (soy sauce, maple syrup, pumpkin seeds and cranberries?) would be strange. So, it was a bit of an adventure.

But, I’m happy to report that it was one with a happy ending. I won’t say anything else – try it, and I promise you’ll be surprised.

This Week's Grocery List:The optional items are for additions that you might make to the Mexican Pizza recipe.

Some grocery stores allow you to buy dried fruits, rice, and nuts in loose quantities, so I’ve included the actual amount that you’ll need this week if you’re able to buy that exactly. If you can’t do this, and have to buy a package of sliced almonds, for example, then buy the standard 4 or 8 ounce package – you can use leftovers in future recipes, or in breakfast items like yogurt parfaits or oatmeal.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Lately, I feel like I’m back in college…during finals. I’m preparing to take the GMAT exam in early May, and so my “free time” has become much more structured. Instead of coming home from the gym and debating whether to watch “Real Housewives” or “The Daily Show” while I savor my vegan mac and cheese, I find myself going through quick-fire motions of showering, cooking, eating, and pulling my review books off the shelf to get in a couple hours of studying before I fall asleep…and then get up in the morning, go to work, and get ready to do it all again.

Unfortunately, I cannot program myself to function robotically, and this schedule has fallen apart on more than one occasion. Inevitably, something doesn’t happen – either I don’t make it to the gym, or I don’t cook, or my willpower crumbles to the temptation that is “Lost”…

(What lies in the shadow of the statue??)

…and thus my score on the quantitative section has not gone up in two weeks.

It might be easiest for me to forgo the cooking for a while – just pick things up or order take out, and eliminate all of the time it takes me to plan, shop, prep, and, of course, blog. But, I can’t bring myself to do this.

When I was in college, finals was the time when I was most rigid about my sleep schedule – I had to get my eight hours; if I didn’t, I couldn’t function optimally, and the studying became somewhat useless. What sleep was to me during finals, food is to me now. Eating frozen crap or soup that was prepared in large batches two days ago just doesn’t do it for me.

So, I’ll wake up earlier in the morning to do GMAT review before work. And, instead of going to the gym every day, I go every other day. But, I cook and eat my food, and it makes me happy and able to focus on everything else I need to get done.

Here’s to contented tastebuds, a nourished soul…and to me getting better at math!

Steps:1. Place all ingredients for dressing in a bowl. Whisk to blend. Set aside.2. Peel orange and remove white portions. Quarter the orange and slice it into fans.3. Toss the spinach and radishes with 3 Tbsp. of the dressing in a large mixing or salad bowl.4. Top with avocado and orange slices.5. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Serve!

Thai Spicy Eggplant with BasilMaking Thai food can be intimidating – but this dish is not. It’s surprising easy and quick to make and the flavors are subtle, but definitely present. If you want, you can add some cubes of tofu to this dish.

If you can find it, (I usually do at the farmer’s market in Union Square), buy Thai basil for this dish. The leaves have a hint of purple in them. While the flavor is great with regular basil, the Thai version is distinctive, and I think you’ll find that the dish tastes more authentic as a result.

Steps:1. Heat a deep skillet or wok over high heat. Add the oil and crushed red pepper, and let it sizzle for 10 seconds.2. Add the eggplant, and stir-fry for three minutes.3. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, ginger, and scallions and stir-fry for another three minutes.4. Add vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar, and toss for 2 more minutes.5. Remove from heat. Add basil and stir gently to combine with eggplant.6. Serve with cooked, hot rice.

Purple Cabbage Salad

Every now and then, my stomach craves something full of flavor, crunch, and general yumminess, but that also feels really light…so that when I’m done eating, I’m completely satisfied, but not needing to change into sweatpants. This salad does just that. Not to mention that cabbage is full of Vitamin C and thus, super good for you.

Pizza with Sundried Tomatoes, Pineapple, and BasilI love pizza. I also love sweet and savory combinations – give me a bag of kettle corn, and it will be gone before you can grab some bowls so we can share it.

I usually buy ready-made crusts from Whole Foods when I make pizza. But, as I don’t have plans to make a second pizza this week, I’ll buy Whole Foods Naan and make mini pizzas on them – so when I say “crust”, you can take this to mean a full pizza crust, or some mini version like mine.

Steps:1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.2. Heat oil over medium-high heat.3. Add tomatoes, and toss in the oil until the tomatoes start to soften (about three minutes).4. Add salt and herbs, and cook for additional two minutes.5. As tomatoes continue to soften, gently mash them with the bottom of a wooden spoon. Stir in the ground pine nuts, and allow to cook for 2 to three more minutes.6. Remove sauce from heat.7. Spray pizza pan with cooking spray before putting the crust on the pan.8. Spread sauce on crust. Layer with toppings. Bake for 10 minutes, serve, and enjoy!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

With everything that is going on right now between work and all of the things I’m trying to get done outside of the office, last week left little room for cooking. I wandered over to Whole Foods from the gym almost every night to pick out something that was ready to go, so that I could eat as soon as I made it home (which was about 9 pm every night, and seemingly too late to pull anything together).

(I know, it’s terrible – I was violating the values of my own blog.)

So, this weekend, I decided that everything else aside (including the thrill of doing my taxes), I HAD to make a menu, and I had to cook. If I ended the weekend feeling fully prepared for the week, it would be much easier to get back on track.

And so I whisked, sautéed, and layered my way to the deliciously flaky, crispy, creamy, and savory spanakopitas featured in this week’s menu – and I have to say that it was one of the best moments I’ve experienced in the last five days (both the process of being back in the kitchen, and the first bite…so a few of the best moments…).

Maybe because it was 60 degrees and sunny today, I was feeling all kinds of light and springy foods when I sat down to write this menu – tomatoes, asparagus, basil, strawberries….salads. And, so I bring you my first menu of the season.

Vegan SpanakopitaIn being vegan, I miss all things that combine spinach and cheese – traditional spanakopita, hot spinach-artichoke dip, Palak Paneer, and the Deep brand Samosas with spinach and cheese…

I found the original version of this vegan recipe in Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Vegan with a Vengeance, and was really excited when I found this version, which has been adapted from Isa’s, that I could share on the blog.

This definitely takes some time, so it’s ideal for Sunday afternoons or evenings – or another day when you get home from work early. But, when it’s done, you’ll have eight scrumptious spinach pies which will last throughout the week – well worth the effort you’ll make on Sunday.

Steps:1. Preheat oven to 375º.2. Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat, and then add spinach, green onion, garlic, and dill, and sauté, stirring frequently until spinach is limp and the liquid that sweats out has boiled away. Set aside until the mixture fully cools to room temperature.3. Meanwhile, drain the tofu (press out excess liquid). Place the tofu in a bowl and use a whisk (or your hands) to mash it. Add the (cooled) spinach mixture, lemon juice, oregano, nutmeg, walnuts, ¼ cup olive oil, yeast, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed.4. Lay out a sheet of phyllo in the baking dish. Brush with oil, lay another on top, brush with oil, and repeat for a total of 8 sheets.5. Gently spread half of the spinach mixture over the dough. Prepare another 8 sheets of phyllo as above and lay on top of the spinach mixture. Spread the rest of the spinach on top. Layer with the rest of the phyllo sheets.6. Brush the top layer of phyllo with oil and tuck the edges of the phyllo sheets into the pan.7. Score the top layer of dough into eight pieces.8. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes, until golden-brown and crispy – be careful not to let the phyllo burn!

Quinoa TabboulehOnce the quinoa is cooked, this will literally take 10 minutes, and will make a nice side dish for the spanakopita. Want to make it a bit more interesting? Add some cranberries, sliced grapes, or sliced mandarin oranges.

Grilled Asparagus and Spinach SaladThis salad was inspired by this one, which I found on the FatFree Vegan blog. I wanted to add a bit more color and texture to it, so you’ll see some additions to the original below. You might also think about adding fresh peas and/or artichokes.

Susan’s original recipe includes what looks like a punchy smoked paprika dressing. But, since I am pairing this salad with the flavorful tomato ginger crostini, I’m going to keep my salad dressing very simple.

Note: You will need about four asparagus spears for the pizza. Reserve these, and use the rest of the asparagus to make the salad.

Steps:1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.2. Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus, place in a dish, and spray it lightly with olive oil (just a couple of quick sprays). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to distribute the oil and seasonings.3. Spread asparagus on a pizza pan and place in oven for about 5 minutes, turning half-way through.4. Meanwhile, whisk all dressing ingredients together. Set aside.5. Cut asparagus spears into thirds.6. Toss remaining salad ingredients with dressing. Top with asparagus.7. Serve salad with Tomato Ginger Chutney Crostini.

Tomato Ginger Chutney Crostini:Note: Once you make this chutney, store it in its own container in the refrigerator so that you can use it repeatedly with freshly sliced bread.

Steps:1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. (Alternatively, to make it more “spreadable”, you could pulse it in the food processor – but leave it coarse; don’t make it totally smooth!)2. Adjust seasonings to taste.3. Toast crostini in toaster oven, or heat in oven on 350 degree until crispy (3 minutes).4. Spread tomato ginger chutney on crostini and serve.

Asparagus Pesto PizzaI saw this in the prepared foods section at Whole Foods, but with cheese. So, I’m taking it out, adding tomatoes, and making it vegan. If you are vegetarian, I think this would taste best with a few sliced rounds of fresh mozzarella, or sprinkled with shredded mozzarella.

Strawberry Salad with Herbed Goat Cheese CrostiniOnce again, I was inspired to veganize a vegetarian recipe that I found on the Vegetarian Times website. As the weather gets warmer, I’m looking forward to fruit, “cheese”, and wine picnics in Central Park – and this salad is a taste of that.

Note: If you have leftover “cheese” and/or dressing, store each separately in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Steps:1. Preheat oven to 350°F.2. Pulse strawberries, vinegar, sugar, shallot, and garlic in blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. Slowly pour in oil, and blend until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, and set dressing aside.3. Rub baguette slices with oil, and place on baking sheet. Toast in oven 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden. Cool.4. Mash cream cheese, parsley, thyme, and basil in bowl with fork. Season with salt and pepper, then spread on toasted baguette slices.5. Toss mesclun greens with almonds and 3 tbsp. dressing. Top with strawberry halves.6. Optional: Drizzle crostini with 1 tbsp. dressing.7. Serve and enjoy!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Though I grew up eating Indian food at least five days a week, and only want to eat my mom’s home-cooked Indian food when I visit my parents, I have typically shied away from cooking Indian food…primarily because, despite my mom’s best efforts to train me in the art of spices - I remain challenged in this area, and frankly, intimidated by the personalities of turmeric, cumin, cloves, and asafoetida.

For seemingly irrational reasons, while I lived with the best of personal trainers in Indian cooking for so many years, it’s “easier” for me to cook Indian food when I find recipes for Indian food online – as I have this week. So, with some trial and error, and advice from my mom, I’m now launching my education in Indian cooking with the eggplant-based Baingan Bharta and Potato Pea Curry included in this week’s menu. Enjoy!

Baingan Bharta:Baingan Bharta is the only thing I want to order when I go out for north Indian food. In fact, when I call Baluchi’s to order in and give them my phone number, they’ve already begun packing Baingan Bharta into a container for me. So, I decided it was time to learn how to make it on my own.

Once the eggplants are roasted, this dish is very quick to make. One change I made – when I scooped the flesh out of the eggplants, I pulsed it in the food processor until it was a bit smoother. I also included the roasted skin of half an eggplant for some color and additional flavor. Don’t pulse the tomatoes or anything else in the food processor! Just the eggplant and eggplant skins, and then add that to the saucepan.

When it’s all done, it tastes super fresh, and is probably a lot healthier than anything I would order in.

Click here for the Baingan Bharta recipe. You can eat this with rice or naan (Indian bread). This link includes a recipe for homemade naan – I’m going to buy prepared naan at Whole Foods, but may try to make it on my own one of these days.

Kale Soup:I was looking for a kale dish and found this soup. While it requires 30 – 40 minutes of simmering time, it requires very little prep work. That’s why it’s a great thing to make on Sunday afternoon or evening – you can leave it to simmer while doing other things, and then you have a one-pot meal that is ready for multiple servings over the next few days.

I’d eat this with warm naan bread – brush a bit of olive oil on both sides of the naan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, if you like, and then heat it on a skillet (be sure to flip halfway through) until crisp.

Asparagus with Vegan Hollandaise sauce:Asparagus is my go-to vegetable for when I am craving something carb-heavy or starchy (pasta, sandwiches), and feel a need to add something green on the side. So, here I’ve paired it with the potato soup. I think asparagus is great sautéed in some olive oil for two minutes, and sprinkled with salt and pepper…or blanched, with salt and pepper. Here, though, there’s a nice dipping sauce which adds some more flavor.

In the interest of keeping the asparagus freshly cooked, prepare half of the asparagus at a time. You can make the hollandaise sauce all at once, and store it in its own container. But, cook half of the asparagus on Monday night, for Monday night’s dinner, and then prepare the other half on Tuesday night for Wednesday’s lunch.

As for the silken tofu…so, I don’t have another lunch or dinner recipe that would make great use of the rest of the tofu this week – however, silken tofu is an excellent substitute for yogurt in fruit smoothies. So, put the leftover tofu in an airtight container, fill it so that half of the tofu block is covered in water, close, and store in the refrigerator. Use a bit of the tofu each day in a breakfast or post-workout smoothie like this one. If you decide to make the smoothies, though, don’t forget to add bananas, orange juice, and frozen mixed berries to your grocery list!

Canned and Bottled Goods:TahiniTamari, or Soy SauceCurry PasteDry Goods:2 packages, Naan (each contains 4)Nutritional Yeast8 oz. package, Quinoa8 oz. package, Green LentilsRaw cashews (if you can buy the loose ones, where you pay by the pound, just get 1/8 of a pound for this week)

Monday, March 9, 2009

This week’s patchwork menu began when my mom sent me a box of Florida oranges and a bag of pine nuts.

(Oranges because she can buy them in giant bags at her local farmer’s market, and knows that the ones I get here just aren’t as sweet and juicy as they ones she gets in Florida. Pine nuts because she saw them on sale for a lot less than what I pay in NYC…and because she is in constant disbelief about the cost of living in NYC – even in this economy - she was just doing her part to help me out.)

So, the box on my coffee table, containing two layers of oranges, neatly separated by tissue paper, and my re-sealable bag of pine nuts got me thinking. Whereas I could have continued trying to eat three to four oranges a day in order to eat them all while fresh, I found the salad with asparagus, mint, and oranges – and an opportunity to be more creative than that.

The salad included some feta. And, I had found the zucchini pancakes which required just a bit of cilantro. In keeping with my mission to maximize my use of purchased ingredients, I needed another dish that would make full use of the feta and cilantro. So, I put together the pita sandwiches…with veggies, chickpeas, feta, and a cilantro pesto (made with pine nuts).

Where does the soup come in? I love cooking dishes that only require one pot, cauliflower is really good for you, I was intrigued by the use of an apple in the soup, and the recipe only required me to buy four ingredients (I have everything else, like olive oil, curry powder, and honey, in the apartment already).

As I said – it was a random assortment of ideas and thoughts that pulled this menu together. And, here’s what I’m cooking.

Fast Scallion Pancakes and Zucchini Corn Pancakes with Thai chili sauceSavory pancakes are one of my favorite things to order at Korean restaurants, like Hangawi (which is entirely vegetarian!) And, because I’m indecisive, I always just get the combination pancakes so that I can have a little of each kind. So, here are my own “combination” pancakes, pulled from Mark Bittman’s blog, and Vegetarian Times. The zucchini corn pancakes recipe calls for them to be eaten with salsa, but I’m going to keep the flavor Asian and eat both of these with a Thai chili dipping sauce.

Note: When I make these for the first time on Monday, I’ll make the full recipe – so that the batter for all of the pancakes will be ready. Then, I’ll store the batter for each type of pancake in separate, air tight containers, so that when I’m making them over the course of the week, I’m not spending time making everything from scratch, just making the pancakes fresh from the batter. Alternatively, you could make all of the pancakes on Monday, and then reheat them over the stove or in the oven each night that you eat them for dinner, over the course of the week.

Curried Cauliflower SoupLess than 10 ingredients, and only two steps – you can’t really beat that!

If you find that eating the soup by itself is not enough, then I recommend that you add some bread on the side. You can toast some pita, brush a bit of olive olive and freshly ground black pepper on it. Or, spread some (Earth Balance) vegan butter on bread, sprinkle with garlic powder, and toast.

Orange, Mint, and Asparagus Pasta saladThis salad is wonderfully light and refreshing, but not so light that you’re hungry 20 minutes later. The flavors and textures blend really well, and it almost feels like the perfect thing to be eating with springtime upon us. (Unless you’re in Boston, where it snowed after a weekend of 50 degree weather.)

The original recipe (see below), serves 8. I am only making it twice this week, and I think 2 servings each time is plenty.

Pita Pockets with Cilantro Pesto and FetaThe cilantro pesto here is similar to one I posted in Menu 7, but uses pine nuts instead of walnuts. The chickpeas are thrown in for protein – you could also use baked tofu, or falafel nuggets, if you were feeling ambitious.

Steps:1. Pulse cilantro and olive oil in food processor or blender. (Add a bit of water if it’s not mixing well in the blender.)2. Add remaining ingredients for pesto, and pulse or blend until smooth.3. Spread cilantro pesto evenly inside of pita pocket.4. Stuff pita pocket with lettuce.5. Toss chickpeas, tomato, red onion, cucumber, and feta in a bowl to mix well. Then, add to pita pocket.4. Serve.

Note: Depending on how many pitas you’re serving for a particular meal, you may or may not use all of the chickpeas. So, when you open the can of chickpeas, transfer all contents to an airtight container. Only rinse and drain the amount of chickpeas you’ll use in that one meal – store the rest in the container. I’ll store the unused portions of onion and cucumber in Ziploc sandwich bags – make sure to seal the bags so that there’s no air caught inside.

This week’s grocery list:I think this is the cheapest week I’ve put together so far – I spent $10.00 at the farmer’s market on all of the produce. And, bought everything else I needed at Whole Foods for $25.00 (If you cook often like I do, you should have all of the oils, spices, and most condiments/bottled goods in stock in your pantry). And remember, that $35.00 includes things like flour and egg replacer that are now in stock in my pantry, so I can use them for future dishes.

Here’s the full list – just print, cross off what you already have, and you’re ready to shop.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

When I was growing up, and would occasionally go out to eat with my family, I dreaded the moment when our food would arrive. Because, when our food came, it was not time to eat. “Wait, wait,” my mom would say. Despite collective groans from my brothers and me, she’d use her fork to poke around each dish, explaining, “I want to see how they made it, so I can make it at home.”

What was the point of going out to eat if we weren’t going to just enjoy our food? Did we have to reconstruct each recipe as we were eating?

Some years, later, I have (admittedly) become my mother (only now, I type notes into my BlackBerry while I’m eating.)

In this week’s menu, I continue to enjoy Lauren’s delicious recipes from Vegan YumYum, and aim to recreate two of the dishes I’ve enjoyed at restaurants in the last week. And, in the spirit of mothers, I bring you a recipe for soup from my friend Arathi’s mom. Enjoy!

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu with Wok-Steamed Collards and QuinoaSince I’ve read and heard so much about the nutritional benefits of quinoa, I’ve been looking for easy quinoa recipes with flavorful components – and this looks like it.

Mozzarella Pesto MeltThis is a simple sandwich that has incredible flavor because of the pesto – cilantro and walnut, instead of the traditional basil and pine nut combination. When we ate at the Chaco Canyon Café, and I ordered this sandwich, my boyfriend was surprised that I actually did a better job of ordering than he did. (This does not usually happen.) He was also happy that it was simple enough (for me) torecreate (for him).

Steps:1. Pulse cilantro and olive oil in food processor or blender. (Add a bit of water if it’s not mixing well in the blender.)2. Add remaining ingredients for pesto, and pulse or blend until smooth.3. Spread 1 tablespoon of the pesto on each half of the foccacia roll.4. Layer one slice of mozzarella on each half of the focaccia roll.5. Layer one half of focaccia roll with red onion, tomato, and sprouts.6. Place other half of sandwich on top of layered ingredients. Enjoy!

Note: Store the remaining pesto in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Spiced Sweet Corn SoupSince I’ve started the blog (and feeding my roommate, Arathi), Arathi has wanted to contribute to the cooking that’s happening in the apartment. She’s tried her hand at chickpea tacos, and on Saturday, I came home to the smell of vegetarian chili wafting down the hall. Here, she shares her mom’s recipe for spiced sweet corn soup.

1. Bring 4 cups of water and 2 vegetable bullion cubes to boil in a saucepan. Reduce to medium heat, and stir occasionally until cubes have dissolved. Once cubes have dissolved, turn heat off.2. Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onions, stir, cover, and let cook for five minutes.3. Stir in coriander powder and curry powder and cook for 1 minute.4. Add corn and vegetable broth and cook for 2 minutes.5. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.6. Remove pot from heat. Stir in coconut milk. Set aside for 30 minutes, allowing flavors to infuse.7. Transfer all soup, except for 1 cup, to blender or food processor and puree. (You may have to do this in batches.)8. Return soup to pot. Add reserved cup back to soup. Season with salt to taste. Serve!

Spring Greens SaladThis salad is inspired by one that I ate at Café Blossom on Saturday. I couldn’t find jicama when I went shopping – so I took it out of the salad. But, if you can find it, add about ¼ cup of diced jicama.

At Blossom, the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds were “tamari toasted”. In an attempt to recreate this, I will mix the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds in about ¼ cup of tamari, and then “toast” them in a pan over low heat for about 3 – 4 minutes, stirring and flipping occasionally. You can also just use them raw in this salad.

Steps:1. Mix all ingredients for salad in a large bowl.2. Whisk all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl.3. Toss salad with 2 tablespoons of dressing. Serve.4. Store extra dressing in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Notes: The ingredients that you are buying for this salad for the week are enough for 3 servings. The first two are dinner and lunch, back to back. The third is lunch on Friday. The recipe above is for one salad serving. So, on Tuesday night, I am going to make two servings worth – save the rest of the cucumber, tomatoes, and carrot (unchopped and unshredded) for Thursday evening, when I will cut them fresh and prepare Friday’s salad. Always store the dressing separate from the salad – this will keep the salad from becoming soggy. Additionally, I buy loose mesclun greens – so at the store, I am putting them into a plastic produce bag. But, when I bring them home, I transfer them into a plastic storage container (it has locks that snap shut on the sides), and store in the fridge. Keeping them in a box like this will help them stay fresh – don’t store salad greens in those plastic produce bags from the store. Alternatively, you could buy the greens that come in a plastic box.

Nearly Raw Tahini NoodlesWhile I’m so far from being a raw foodie, I enjoy having a raw, (or nearly raw, in this case) dish occasionally because it’s super fresh, and also is cleansing and energizing. Having a food processor makes this dish super quick, because you can chop all of the vegetables in it. While I’m now coveting a VitaMix, the food processor was definitely one of my best kitchen purchases.

This week’s grocery list:This morning, I got all of my produce from the farmer’s market, and everything else I needed from the grocery store – and the total bill was just over $40. (I do already have most of the oils and spices, but it just shows how inexpensive this is!)

Sunday, February 15, 2009

I've always believed that if I left NYC, I'd find it hard to enjoy eating out as a vegan. And, thus far, on my long weekend away, I've pleasantly been proven wrong by the city of Seattle.

Last night's dinner at Cafe Flora was one of the slowest meals I've ever eaten - because I wanted to make it last as long as possible. One of my tasks this week will be to figure out how to re-create their artichoke croquettes. This might be a good place for me to start.

So, as my tastebuds continue their exploration of the Pacific Northwest for the next day and a half, I'm not posting a menu this week...But, for next week -

I'd love to put together a menu of recipes from friends and fans - so send me what you've got! Please be sure to include all ingredients, quantities, and step by step instructions. If you have photos, send those along, too! And, if you have your own blog or website, send me the address - I'll be sure to link the recipe to your site. If you're using a recipe that you've adapted from somewhere else, please be sure to include the information on the original source.

What is The Menu Drawer?

The Menu Drawer saves time for those of us who are busy, but want to save money and eat well. It provides a weekly menu of recipes, a schedule for planning and cooking, and an organized grocery list. Each menu uses common ingredients to save money on groceries. Each post includes suggestions and tips for making each recipe better. With the planning laid out, cooking just got a lot simpler.